*“Newsies”: Singing! Dancing! Scrappy newsboys! Disney’s high-energy musical comedy features a brash young hero and an equally determined heroine in an opposites-attract love story. Orlando Repertory Theatre will be calling “Extra! Extra!” (Sept. 5-Oct. 22, orlandorep.com)
*“Life Could Be a Dream”: Winter Park Playhouse presents this upbeat musical comedy that uses toe-tappers such as “Runaround Sue” to tell the story of Denny and the Dreamers, a doo-wop singing group that hopes the Big Whopper radio contest will help them make it big. (Sept. 15-Oct. 8, winterparkplayhouse.org)
*“Evil Dead: The Musical”: Played for laughs more than chills, this musical comedy coming to the Moonlight Players in Clermont spoofs the tropes of the horror-movie genre in a silly takeoff of slasher flick “The Evil Dead.” Look out behind you! (Oct. 6-22, moonlightplayers.com)
*“The Odd Couple”: Fans of the Neil Simon comedy about mismatched roommates have two options at the Garden Theatre. The Winter Garden venue will present the male version, featuring Felix and Oscar, and the female version, with Florence and Olive. (Oct. 13-29, gardentheatre.org)
*“The Hound of the Baskervilles”: Three actors play a dozen roles in this madcap retelling of the Sherlock Holmes mystery, presented by Orlando Shakespeare Theater. (Oct. 13-Nov. 19, orlandoshakes.org)
*“Sylvia”: Boy meets girl, girl likes boy. Boy meets dog, girl’s not happy. Central Florida Community Arts in Orlando is staging this comically unconventional love triangle. (Oct. 20-Nov. 5, cfcarts.com)
*“Debbie Does Dallas”: All-American sweetheart Debbie Benton will do anything to make it to the cheerleading big leagues. And she means absolutely anything, in this sexy musical comedy coming to the Footlight Theatre at Orlando’s Parliament House. (Nov. 3-18, parliamenthouse.com/footlight-tickets)
*“Born Yesterday”: This three-act comedy, presented by Orlando’s Mad Cow Theatre, dates from 1946. But it sounds ripped from today’s headlines as it pokes fun at sex, corporate tycoons and a political scandal about to explode. (Nov. 17-Dec. 17, madcowtheatre.org)
*“The Book of Mormon”: The Broadway hit returns to Orlando with another touring production. It’s coarsely comic but there’s also a sweetness to this musical comedy about two young missionaries who have their eyes opened in Africa. (Dec. 12-17, drphillipscenter.org)
*“The Fox on the Fairway”: The IceHouse Theatre in Mount Dora presents this manic farce about love, money – and a super-important golf game – set at a private country club. (Jan. 19-Feb. 11, icehousetheatre.com)
